Countdown Begins..

The Rasigan Express bus of Vijay TV had travelled to many places in Tamil Nadu to collect the votes from the public and received an overwhelming response for the nominees in the 5 favorite categories which are favorite- hero, heroine, song, director and film for 2009. The jury members of the show were director A.R.Murugadoss, cinematographer Ravi.K.Chandran, Radhika Sarathkumar, Madan and Yugi Sethu

Following are the nominees for the favorite category

Favorite Hero
Kamal,
Sasikumar,
Suriya,
Vijay
Vikram

Favorite Heroine
Anushka,
Nayanthara,
Shreya,
Tamannah
Trisha

Favorite Film
Aadhavan,
Ayan,
Kandhasamy,
Nadodigal
Vettaikaran

Favorite Director
Bala,
K S Ravikumar,
K V Anand,
Samuthrakani
Susi Ganesan

Favorite Song of the year
Aathichoodi - TN07 AL 4777,
Chinnathaamarai – Vettaikaran,
Hasili Fisili – Aadhavan,
Oru Kal Oru Kannadi - Siva manasula sakthi SMS
Vizhi moodi - Ayan

Viewers can tune into Vijay Awards from Monday-Thursday, May 17 – May 20, 2010 at 8pm to get the latest information on all voting particulars.

Pon Maalai Pozhuthu entralls

The RMKV Pon Maalai Pozhuthu co-presented by Aachi took place at the Tirunelveli Grounds on May 2nd, 2010. Singers Mano and Chithra along with the Super Singer Junior 2 kids - Srikanth, Shravan, Prasanna, Roshan, Alka, Nithyasri, Srinisha and Priyanka had the audience enthralled with their exemplary singing capabilities.

Mano and Chithra sang some popular duets from the Tamil films while the children rendered some of the new and old hits. There was a dance performance at the show.

This show will be aired on Vijay TV in two parts on May 16 & 23, 2010, Sunday at 5pm onwards. Don’t miss it!

Finalists talk..

he three finalists of Vijay TV's Super Singer Junior Season II talk about what their musical journey has been like

When Shravan Pratap, Alka Ajith and Roshan Sebastin talk, it's like watching three perfectly normal teens at work. Shravan, studying in Class IX at PSBB, Nungambakkam, is the gang leader, often speaking for the trio; Roshan, in Class VIII at St. John's, Mandaveli, with a mischievous glint in his eyes and a shy smile, usually agrees with Shravan; and all bubbly Alka, in Class IX, Mamdaram Higher Secondary School, Kannur, Kerala, is willing to discuss is the joy of music.

The three kids, finalists of Vijay TV's Super Singer Junior, Season II (Monday to Thursday, 9 p.m.), are waiting to compete for the top prize on June 17 (to be held on ground, and telecast live), along with a fourth contestant from the wildcard rounds. Over the past year, they have learnt more than a hundred songs, trained their voices to respond differently to film numbers, and figured out how to have fun, despite being constantly in the public eye.

They also have a maturity far beyond their years. For Shravan, it probably comes from the fact that he tried his luck along with thousands of other kids from Chennai, Coimbatore and Tiruchirapalli, and those who sent in their recorded voices, and progressed step-by-step. Alka's already a big name in Kerala, having first performed on stage when she was merely two-and-a-half. She can sing like a dream in 11 languages too! As for Roshan, he's been there and done that — he was part of the ‘Top 5' in the inaugural edition of the show, and decided to make a second attempt to wear the crown.

They've learnt their lessons well over the past year, absorbing the comments of judges, songsters Chitra, Mano and Malgudi Shubha, and their voice trainer, AnantVaidyanathan. Shravan, whose voice has already broken, came with a background in Carnatic music; during the show, he learnt to be a rock-star performer; Roshan, with his honey-soaked voice has learnt to choose his songs well. And, Alka, whose voice has a lingering sweetness, has picked up reading and writing Tamil.

Add to it the fact that they've also learnt time management, handling both school and the show, and how to control their temper when things don't go as planned.

So, after a year of bonhomie, how difficult will it be for them to look at each other as competitors? Shravan has a ready answer. “When we started off, we used to worry about clearing our rounds. Not any more. Let's enjoy the show,” he says. Roshan agrees.

As for Alka, she says only the music matters, not who wins. Despite that, they've given up on cherished childhood pleasures — for one, ice-cream, at least till the contest is over. Shravan can't wait to dig into strawberry and mango ice-cream, and watermelon. Roshan flips for vanilla, and Alka's list is long — chocolate, butterscotch, pista…

For now, Roshan's biggest wait is for his “real” voice to emerge, but after the show. Is he nervous about his voice breaking and losing its sugary sweetness? “No. I'm looking forward to my new voice. I'll work around it.” Shravan chips in. “I've been through it, no? It'll be fine,” he assures.

As we converse, the children in them come alive. Alka wants her “appa” around her during the show; Roshan considers red, blue and black his lucky colours; and Shravan considers akka Preethi his lucky mascot. And, then, they're back to discussing what they do best — singing.

Courtesy - The Hindu

Vote for Vijay Awards

Voting for Vijay Awards has begun. Here's your chance to choose your favourite actor, actress, director and film. The jury members of the show - director A.R.Murugadoss, cinematographer Ravi K. Chandran, actor Radhika Sarathkumar, cartoonist Madan and actor-writer Yuhi Sethu have discussed the 32 Best categories for 2009.

Vijay Awards- Oru Munnottam, on from Monday to Thursday, 8 p.m., has so far seen actors such as Jeyam Ravi, Arya, Jeeva, Pooja, Anuya and Jeeva discuss various topics.

Voting Mechanism: All mobile subscribers can type ‘VA' and SMS to 57827. Viewers can also log onto www.vijayawarsd2010.com and cast their vote.

Voting lines are open till from May 13, 2010, Thursday 9pm - May 23, 11 p.m. Viewers can tune into UniverCell Vijay Awards powered by Rin from May 17-20, 8 p.m., to get the latest information on voting particulars.

Pon Maalai Pozhuthu

The show co-presented by Aachi at Tirunelvelli was held on May 2, 2010. It was led by playback singers Mano and Chitra.

Super Singer Junior 2 kids - Srikanth, Shravan, Prasanna, Roshan, Alka, Nithyasri, Srinisha and Priyanka – delighted the audience with their singing. The juniors had a range of songs, old and new, to perform. ‘Kalakapovadhu Yaaru' fame Arjun and Aravind presented a splendid stand-up comedy act.

Sivakarthikeyan and Deepak who hosted the show with their wit and charm entertained the audience. The proceedings of this musical night will be aired in two parts on May 16 and 23, 5 p.m.

Amiably yours!

Editor - W.SREELALITHA, The Hindu

There's more to Amala Akkineni than just the Blue Cross. In Chennai recently, she talks about motherhood and issues close to her heart

I announce I'm going to meet Amala Akkineni, and colleagues respond with collective gasps — “what a looker!” (and, sighs — “oh, that handsome man she married…!”). I'm cynical — I mean, you last saw her nearly two decades ago! And, that cynic is suitably put to shame the minute I shake hands with the impossibly young-looking Amala. It's as if time's bafflingly halted since 1992 — the year she married Telugu matinee idol Nagarjuna, waved goodbye to tinseldom, and broke many hearts. I tell her this and that I carry love for her husband from my colleagues, and she giggles: “Yeah, I get that all the time!”

So, how did she feel when she quit the industry, after 50 films spanning all the South Indian languages and Hindi? “Relieved. I was working 365 days. I was glad to have my life back. Nag took great care of me. Still does! He's supported me in all my mad hatter schemes.”

Which brings us to how she founded the Blue Cross of Hyderabad. “I was always an animal lover. Even back in school and college, an animal in need of help was my responsibility. The day I set foot in Hyderabad, I saw an animal being hit by a vehicle. The city did not have a shelter for the bleeding animal, and I brought it home. In less than a month, our house was home to all kinds of animals — a buffalo with a broken hip, a blind mongoose, goats, dogs, cats… Nag pointed out that our house looked like a zoo. With his help, Blue Cross was born, and he gifted me the first ambulance!”

Interestingly, animal welfare is not the only thing she's associated with. “I work with 15 organisations that deal with issues ranging from environment protection and wildlife conservation to human rights, and women's and children's rights etc.,” says the social rights activist, who trained in Bharatanatyam for 10 years in Kalakshetra, and in yoga for four years at Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, Chennai.

In between all these, she has accompanied her husband on his shoots. When she watches him shoot, does she suffer pangs of regret? “No. Doing films is not fun or glamorous as it seems,” says Amala, who lived in Chennai for 16 years before her marriage. “Why should I be tucked away in a studio playing a role I do not identify with, when I'd rather be with 500 widows, preparing them to face the world. I'm doing what I believe in, and that's the role of my life.”

A role she takes very seriously. “It's about what drives you to bring about change. I remember a time when there was hardly any awareness about HIV/AIDS; there were full-blown AIDS cases, bundled together and left in garbage bins by their families. How people think or behave cannot be programmed. And, clarity of thought is Nature's way of putting you in a position to show humanity to live in a better way.”

And, this is where, she says, social work comes in handy. “We are taught to address social fear. Let's face it; we live in a world that has people with HIV/AIDS. As we cannot expel it, the best thing is to accept it.”

She asserts that the best way to bring about this acceptance is through children. After all, as she puts it, “you can bend a plant, not a tree”. “Expose them to the right way of living. Teach them to give kids with HIV/AIDS the same comfort they would to anyone else. It helps; my son Akhil grew up playing with these kids.”

So, despite the access, exposure and awareness, why are we still battling a litany of issues? “Lack of equal opportunities. Exploitation happens when people are not aware of their rights. Education is the solution, as is implementing laws.”

For a person who's been straddling so much, what would be the most memorable experience? “Motherhood. You're constantly dipping into the wisdom of the world. When you think you've figured it, along comes a new experience. And, that connects me to ‘Super Mom' (the Vijay TV show she's judging)! I request working mothers to give their children undivided attention — because childhood won't wait!”

As I leave, I want to know how she cheated those 18 years. She chuckles: “Yoga, veganism and positive thinking.”

Whats up with Super Mom

Super Mom” show that has launched on Vijay TV is a show that shows the strong bond between the mom and her child.Having launched in April, the initial episodes had the audition phases where many mothers participated
Never before seen tasks tested the wits of mother, the tasks captured culinary skills, Entertainment Quotient and their IQ. Many TV personalities and anchors were a part of the Judges panel who took part in the initial levels of elimination.

Now with 22 mother-children who were finally selected by the eminent Judges panel the show would move on to the next level of competition.
On Mother’s Day the new judge for Super mom is to be introduced on the show.
Actress Amala would takeover the mantle of the Judge of Super Mom
She needs no introduction to the Tamil audience as she was a trendsetter in the early 80’s. Educated at Kalakshetra, Institute of Fine Arts at Chennai, Amala graduated in Classical Bharatanatyam. She had a successful career in South Indian Cinema having acted in 50 films in 5 Indian languages; Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada & Malayalam. She is married to Telugu film Actor Nagarjuna and has settled at Hyderabad.

She has charmed all her fans by carrying a very unique style. Her hits include Pushpak, Agninakshtram (Gharshana), Sathya . She has acted with all the leading men in Tamil namley Rajinikanth, Kamal Hassan , Prabhu, Mohan, Mamooty ; Mohanlal and Suresh Gopi in Malayalam and Nagarjuna, Venkatesh , Rajashekar and Chiranjeevi in Telugu among several others. She has also worked with veteran directors like Bharathiraja, Maniratnam and Ram Gopal Verma. After having a successful career in films, Actress Amala is presently a member of the Animal Welfare Board of India, appointed by the Government of India. She volunteers with organizations like W.W.F and Greenpeace for the environment. She also works with various NGO’s and supports Government efforts and UNICEF to spread awareness on issues like HIV, eradication of child marriage and child labour etc. She also is the founder of Blue Cross of Hyderabad. She would now don the new role as a Judge of Vijay TV’s Clinic Plus Super Mom. She would be the Judge of the latest edition of Super Mom show. The selected 22 mothers along with their kids’ would be introduced to the new Judge. Rounds based on compatibility between mother and child would be a part of the Super Mom show, where Amala would test the compatibility levels of the mothers and their children. Being a mother herself, Amala would also share some of her own experiences in parenthood.Do tune into Clinic Plus Super Mom show, where Actress Amala takes on the new role as a Judge from May 10, 2010 – May 13, 2010, Monday – Thursday, 2pm on Vijay TV!